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Monthly Archives: December 2002
New Links Added
From Bobbi:”My very favorite Jack Brothers cd is “Nivose” and it has two really great songs, “Jattebra” (I think it means “perfection” in Swedish) and “Min Lilla Ros” (words are something like “there was black there was dark there was nothing there was snow … then there was you, my little rose”-but sung to music that makes you want to ride a truck in circles under the desert stars in the middle of the night!) Then most of the songs on “Ventose” are good-they’re mostly in English and they’re the funniest take on the blues! I especially love “Hole In Your Pocket Blues.”There’s also a song on “Germinal” called “Under Finspangs Boar” that I love-I love it because as they’re singing it they switch back and forth between major and minor chords (vocally) which kind of tweaks your emotions-cyclical responses.”atching up on some old business—Our links list has a couple new entries, courtesy of Bobbi and Benjer.Bobbi recommends the Jack Brothers—a huge proportion of their tunes are downloadable, so you can be pretty familiar with their work before you buy. Continue reading
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Should I Stay or Should I Go?
lash founder Joe Strummer, born John Graham Mellor, dead at 50. Tragic loss of a fascinating man; the proverbial musician’s musician. Details at, among other places, CNN. Continue reading
Rodeo Clown Fairytale
ith a name like G Love and Special Sauce, you don’t exactly expect folk music. Leaning closer to hip-hop than Beck-like slacker rap, they seem to know what they’re doing, but it’s just not my cup of tea. As sometimes happens, a talented performer reacts to the catalyst of another writer’s music, and something special happens. In the case of G Love’s “Rodeo Clowns” the other writer is Mr. “Brushfire Fairytales”, Jack Johnson. G Love’s handling of “Rodeo Clowns” is definitely not pure Jack Johnson; his “Flake”, “Mudfootball”, and the other tracks on “Brushfire Fairytale” are closer to blues than modern R&B and its derivatives. This version makes good use of multiple acoustic guitars, including one played by the writer in a solo sounding a lot like Willie Nelson doing his usual fierce attack on every individual note. Just to make sure we don’t forget who’s performing, there’s a huge bass and drum rhythym; not overdone, but not subtle. Continue reading
Parting Glass for a Fisherman
lottery winner dies of the shock of winning, and, in a dream, tells his friends to collect the winnings and divide them among all 52 residents of the village. Along the way, we meet a romantic pig farmer and his olfactory-sensitive love interest; a boy who may or may not be his; the witch, the fiddle, and a flying phone box; nearly all the colorful characters who inhabit the quaint Irish village of Tullymore. Along the way, we hear marvelous Irish music, old and new, and in one brief scene, a rarely heard verse from one of the best Irish songs ever recorded.”Waking Ned Divine” isn’t for everyone; the humor is subtle, the accents are thick, and the climax of the story bizarre. I love the movie, but for those who might not, the music transcends the story line (and is available on CD so you don’t have to watch at all.) Continue reading
Getting Jiggy the Celtic Way
únasa — another reason for that Irish/English dictionary. I don’t know if it can be translated, but I know what it means: three albums worth of great Irish music. Well, I’m taking the third on faith; I only have their … Continue reading
Tahitian Skies
‘ve been listening to “Rare Django” the last few days and wishing I knew more than five words of French. Nearly every song with vocals is in French, recorded during the master’s early days with various jazz singers in his home country. Years ago, when I first discovered this masterpiece, a friend offered to translate the songs for me. Since she spoke French (though with a decided Tahitian accent) and loved jazz it was a good deal for both of us.Thinking about the translations in the desk drawer reminds me of things Tahitian; not that I’ve been there in body, but I go often in spirit. One simple method is a track from a truly memorable and evocative album by two guitar giants. Continue reading
Great Days of My Youth
ne of my earliest memories (I have many vivid memories from before I learned to read at the age of 4, so earliest is really, really, early) is my absolute acceptance of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem singing in Gaelic to an audience at Carnegie Hall. Not that I had any clue who Carnegie was, or where his hall was, but it never occurred to me to wonder why I couldn’t understand a single word of the song “Oro Se Do Bheathe Bhaile.” After I learned to read, I was slightly puzzled that they pronounced it “Oro shay doe vaha wallya” but it was the only line I could figure out, and I sang it loud.Statistics show that Gaelic is steadily making a comeback in Ireland. From the late 19th century until WWII, fewer than one in five residents of the Emerald Isle spoke Gaelic; nearing the end of the 20th century, over twice that many professed an ability to speak it. I’m considering doing my part by moving there and learning the language myself. Eventually. It would be heartbreaking to think of losing something as melodic and moving as the sound of such a glorious tongue. Continue reading
Before the Gravel Road
llison loaned me her copy of “Lucinda Williams” a few weeks ago. She casually mentioned that she and Lucinda used to play together as children. I’m still waiting for a photo good enough to post, but even in the copy her dad faxed to her, it’s pretty obvious which one of the group is Allison, and which one’s Cindy.It’s also pretty obvious when the one singing is Lucinda Williams. Her last two albums, “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” and “Essence” are both award winners. Her third album, eponymously entitled, is just as much a winner, despite academia’s failure to recognize it officially. Continue reading
Can’t Wait for ‘Everything Waits’
‘ve long been a fan of Art Garfunkel, and I think his new album with Maia Sharp and Buddy Mondlock is going to be a real treat. With apologies to his fans, I’m not familiar with Mondlock’s work, but with Garfunkel’s voice and arranging abilities, and Maia’s voice and sax, I find it difficult to believe that “Everything Waits To Be Noticed” will be anything less than spectacular. Continue reading
Blue Moon Over the Sunshine of Your Love
atched Eric Clapton’s “One More Car, One More Rider” concert yesterday. Some of the classics have transmogrified into arrangements I’m not excited about, but watching the man perform with Billy Preston was a hoot. My second son, Brendan, thinks Preston and fellow keyboardist David Sanchez were the hits of the show, though he acknowledges EC’s abilities, of course.One tiny bit stopped me in my tracks: in the Cream tune “Sunshine of Your Love”, Clapton began his solo with something that wasn’t quite from the original — two bars from “Blue Moon.” Continue reading
